Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by quadrophenia17 
It's very hard to pick your favorite albums, and it's even harder to put them in some consecutive order, so just consider this an incomplete list. It's also bound to change, because of new releases and other various factors. These are the albums that keep getting better the older I get, and make me want to come back for more.
But enough rambling; here's my list. Enjoy!
- Chart updated: 08/25/2018 23:45
- (Created: 10/14/2011 01:52).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 87 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 86 out of 100 (from 133 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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"Only love can bring the rain that makes you yearn to the sky. Only love can bring the rain that falls like tears from on high"
This was every teenager’s album, including mine. Whenever I was frustrated about anything, I would lock myself in my room and listen to this album all the way through. I still do. Words can’t properly express my love for this album.
This is my favourite album of all time. The music is sublime, the lyrics perfectly capture not just what it was like being a mod in the 60s, but also trying to fit in any sort of group. The concept is a thing of beauty. This album has helped me get through a lot and I’m always finding new subtle things about it that I absolutely love. I don’t think I will ever hear an album better than this.
Perfection.
To quote Sean Penn said about this album, “A rock opera for the ages.” [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
This was every teenager’s album, including mine. Whenever I was frustrated about anything, I would lock myself in my room and listen to this album all the way through. I still do. Words can’t properly express my love for this album.
This is my favourite album of all time. The music is sublime, the lyrics perfectly capture not just what it was like being a mod in the 60s, but also trying to fit in any sort of group. The concept is a thing of beauty. This album has helped me get through a lot and I’m always finding new subtle things about it that I absolutely love. I don’t think I will ever hear an album better than this.
Perfection.
To quote Sean Penn said about this album, “A rock opera for the ages.” [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,036
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Did I disappoint you or leave a bad taste in your mouth?"
Tracks: Re-arranged in order of preference (try listening to the album in this order):
One - We are all one. We work better together, we know this, yet it is pride that tears us apart.
Love Is Blindness - Do we really see what is in front of us? Or only what we want to see? Love is blindness, and we are dying to see.
Acrobat - The world is a tough place, not very fair. Where do we belong? We want to belong to something so bad, that we will act like an acrobat jumping through hoops to get noticed.
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) - We all need some uplifting from someone we love and trust. We are not so strong all of the time.
Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World - Don't worry. Everything will work out just as it is supposed to. There is no need to try and fix the world. Focus on what is right around you...be still.
So Cruel - What to do after things seem to be hopeless. Relationships and Rules. Dependence versus Independence.
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - Moving away; rising up. Being okay with decisions made. Forgiveness and understanding.
The Fly - What we will do for love...The Good, Bad, and Ugly.
Mysterious Ways - Love; she is a mysterious creature. Things we must do to get what we think we are searching for.
Zoo Station - Ready to engage in life again. Feeling strong after a brain vacation.
Even Better Than The Real Thing - Renewed energy and strength. Feeling like never giving up on love/life.
Until The End Of The World - Life is renewed/life is good. The cycle starts over with someone you know and you try to save them from what you have gone through.
"In TV-news parlance, their attitude switched from '60 Minutes' to 'The Colbert Report'". – Pitchfork Magazine [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Tracks: Re-arranged in order of preference (try listening to the album in this order):
One - We are all one. We work better together, we know this, yet it is pride that tears us apart.
Love Is Blindness - Do we really see what is in front of us? Or only what we want to see? Love is blindness, and we are dying to see.
Acrobat - The world is a tough place, not very fair. Where do we belong? We want to belong to something so bad, that we will act like an acrobat jumping through hoops to get noticed.
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) - We all need some uplifting from someone we love and trust. We are not so strong all of the time.
Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World - Don't worry. Everything will work out just as it is supposed to. There is no need to try and fix the world. Focus on what is right around you...be still.
So Cruel - What to do after things seem to be hopeless. Relationships and Rules. Dependence versus Independence.
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - Moving away; rising up. Being okay with decisions made. Forgiveness and understanding.
The Fly - What we will do for love...The Good, Bad, and Ugly.
Mysterious Ways - Love; she is a mysterious creature. Things we must do to get what we think we are searching for.
Zoo Station - Ready to engage in life again. Feeling strong after a brain vacation.
Even Better Than The Real Thing - Renewed energy and strength. Feeling like never giving up on love/life.
Until The End Of The World - Life is renewed/life is good. The cycle starts over with someone you know and you try to save them from what you have gone through.
"In TV-news parlance, their attitude switched from '60 Minutes' to 'The Colbert Report'". – Pitchfork Magazine [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,834
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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"Listen carefully to the sounds of your loneliness. Like a heartbeat drives you mad, in the stillness remember what you had and what you lost, and what you had and what you lost"
THE Ultimate Break-Up Album!
"[The songs] are romantic — tales of love and lust, love making and love breaking — infused with universal emotions that nearly everybody can relate to and understand." – Consequence of Sound
What can you say about “Rumours” that has not already been said? One of the most beautiful and yet bittersweet collection of songs ever put on record. It’s impossible to pick standout tracks because they are all equally good but different to each other. How the record shifts from Chrissy’s heartbreakingly wistful performance on “Songbird” and builds thru to Lindsey/John’s climatic finish to “The Chain” leaves your head spinning and is undoubtedly one of the finest passages of rock music ever committed to vinyl. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
THE Ultimate Break-Up Album!
"[The songs] are romantic — tales of love and lust, love making and love breaking — infused with universal emotions that nearly everybody can relate to and understand." – Consequence of Sound
What can you say about “Rumours” that has not already been said? One of the most beautiful and yet bittersweet collection of songs ever put on record. It’s impossible to pick standout tracks because they are all equally good but different to each other. How the record shifts from Chrissy’s heartbreakingly wistful performance on “Songbird” and builds thru to Lindsey/John’s climatic finish to “The Chain” leaves your head spinning and is undoubtedly one of the finest passages of rock music ever committed to vinyl. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
30,810
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Sometimes I wish I had never been born at all"
"What sets Queen apart is their selection of unlikely effects: acoustic piano, harp, acapella vocals, no synthesizers, coupled with good songs." – Rolling Stone Magazine
For me, I prefer Queen's earlier work, and this is the pinnacle of their style. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
"What sets Queen apart is their selection of unlikely effects: acoustic piano, harp, acapella vocals, no synthesizers, coupled with good songs." – Rolling Stone Magazine
For me, I prefer Queen's earlier work, and this is the pinnacle of their style. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,647
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend. I wanna guard your dreams and visions"
"Born to Run is, however, Bruce Springsteen’s most Bruce Springsteen album -- the one that exemplifies the go-for-broke barrage of guitar, piano, sax, and glockenspiel that most people associate with the Boss." – Billboard Magazine
Literally one of the greatest albums of all time, my favorite by Springsteen. Each song offers something different while conveying a similar tale of desperation. An amazing listen from beginning to end. This is the ultimate album for high school graduates hoping to leave their small hometowns and find their destiny. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
"Born to Run is, however, Bruce Springsteen’s most Bruce Springsteen album -- the one that exemplifies the go-for-broke barrage of guitar, piano, sax, and glockenspiel that most people associate with the Boss." – Billboard Magazine
Literally one of the greatest albums of all time, my favorite by Springsteen. Each song offers something different while conveying a similar tale of desperation. An amazing listen from beginning to end. This is the ultimate album for high school graduates hoping to leave their small hometowns and find their destiny. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,400
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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"Hey man, I gotta straighten my face. This mellow thighed chick just put my spine out of place"
"the tunes on The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, somewhat loosely held together by the concept of the Earthbound exploits of the interplanetary rock star, strangely avoid the trap of being so much dated, post-hippie nonsense." – Slant Magazine
It is true; this album sounds just as good today as it did 45 years ago. When someone asks me to sum up David Bowie's career in one album, this is it. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
"the tunes on The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, somewhat loosely held together by the concept of the Earthbound exploits of the interplanetary rock star, strangely avoid the trap of being so much dated, post-hippie nonsense." – Slant Magazine
It is true; this album sounds just as good today as it did 45 years ago. When someone asks me to sum up David Bowie's career in one album, this is it. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
43,429
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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"You've been coolin', baby I've been droolin'"
Led Zeppelin II was the first Zeppelin album I ever owned, and it changed my perception of what music could be. This was the moment for me that made me into a Led Zeppelin fan.
Listening to "Whole Lotta Love," was like going through a wind-tunnel, while songs like "Heartbreaker" and "What Is And What Should Never Be" were like Jimmy Page making guitar riffs sound erotic and tantalizing. I can listen to "What Is And What Should Never Be", and imagine a woman strip-teasing to the song; it's that sexy!
I call this the "sexy" album cause each song provides something erotic and lovely: from raw guitar riffs in the first three songs, to sensitivity in "Thank You", it's the Led Zeppelin album I feel they had the most fun with. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Led Zeppelin II was the first Zeppelin album I ever owned, and it changed my perception of what music could be. This was the moment for me that made me into a Led Zeppelin fan.
Listening to "Whole Lotta Love," was like going through a wind-tunnel, while songs like "Heartbreaker" and "What Is And What Should Never Be" were like Jimmy Page making guitar riffs sound erotic and tantalizing. I can listen to "What Is And What Should Never Be", and imagine a woman strip-teasing to the song; it's that sexy!
I call this the "sexy" album cause each song provides something erotic and lovely: from raw guitar riffs in the first three songs, to sensitivity in "Thank You", it's the Led Zeppelin album I feel they had the most fun with. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,939
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"I used to roll the dice; Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes. Listen as the crowd would sing: 'Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!'"
'Viva' offers a more believable fix to the current Coldplay dilemma, i.e., how does a pop band with artful aspirations please everyone while satisfying themselves at the same time?" – Pitchfork.com
What I love about this album is the mixture of all type of songs, but still having that Coldplay feel to them. It can be fast-paced (i.e. 'Viva La Vida', 'Lost!') or it slow like 'Yes'. However, I also like that it wasn't like the first 3 albums; they decided to head in a different direction and it paid off. [First added to this chart: 08/15/2012]
'Viva' offers a more believable fix to the current Coldplay dilemma, i.e., how does a pop band with artful aspirations please everyone while satisfying themselves at the same time?" – Pitchfork.com
What I love about this album is the mixture of all type of songs, but still having that Coldplay feel to them. It can be fast-paced (i.e. 'Viva La Vida', 'Lost!') or it slow like 'Yes'. However, I also like that it wasn't like the first 3 albums; they decided to head in a different direction and it paid off. [First added to this chart: 08/15/2012]
Year of Release:
2008
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,037
Rank in 2008:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better, some have gone and some remain".
"[This is] the album where the Beatles became the Beatles...Rubber Soul was the album where the moptops grew up." – Rolling Stone Magazine
Growing up, it was hard for me personally to decide what my favorite Beatles album was. However, I decided with 'Rubber Soul' because it was the bridge in their careers: while lyrically it sounded like their earlier work, the listener can differentiate that it musically they were heading in a different direction. It's a great mix of both styles that I greatly appreciate more and more as I grow older. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
"[This is] the album where the Beatles became the Beatles...Rubber Soul was the album where the moptops grew up." – Rolling Stone Magazine
Growing up, it was hard for me personally to decide what my favorite Beatles album was. However, I decided with 'Rubber Soul' because it was the bridge in their careers: while lyrically it sounded like their earlier work, the listener can differentiate that it musically they were heading in a different direction. It's a great mix of both styles that I greatly appreciate more and more as I grow older. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
26,788
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Then one day you find, ten years have got behind you. No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun"
"It’s as if the band were beginning to stimulate and capture the imagination through their music as well as evolving into something versatile and truly revolutionary...Dark Side Of The Moon will remain as a timeless classic because of how innovative and unique it was for its time." – Rockhaq Reviews
Believe it or not, it took me a long time to get into Pink Floyd. Though I did like some of their songs, overall I couldn't listen to them for more than 20 minutes because they were too avant-garde for me. It wasn't until I put this record on for studying that I started to enjoy their music. I enjoy listening to this album because one song flows so well with the other; moreover, I still listen to this whenever I need time for myself or I need some time to be quiet and focus on a project. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
"It’s as if the band were beginning to stimulate and capture the imagination through their music as well as evolving into something versatile and truly revolutionary...Dark Side Of The Moon will remain as a timeless classic because of how innovative and unique it was for its time." – Rockhaq Reviews
Believe it or not, it took me a long time to get into Pink Floyd. Though I did like some of their songs, overall I couldn't listen to them for more than 20 minutes because they were too avant-garde for me. It wasn't until I put this record on for studying that I started to enjoy their music. I enjoy listening to this album because one song flows so well with the other; moreover, I still listen to this whenever I need time for myself or I need some time to be quiet and focus on a project. [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
60,075
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1970s | 38 | 38% | |
| 1980s | 17 | 17% | |
| 1990s | 7 | 7% | |
| 2000s | 7 | 7% | |
| 2010s | 13 | 13% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 9 | 9% | |
| U2 | 7 | 7% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 6 | 6% | |
| David Bowie | 6 | 6% | |
| The Who | 5 | 5% | |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 4% | |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
50 | 50% | |
| |
34 | 34% | |
 |
7 | 7% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 85th to 86th Nevermind by Nirvana |
| Down 1 from 86th to 87th Weezer (Blue Album) by Weezer |
| Down 1 from 87th to 88th Low by David Bowie |
| New entries |
|---|
| "Heroes" by David Bowie |
| Sinatra: A Man & His Music by Frank Sinatra |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Scary Monsters by David Bowie |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 133 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/21/2025 10:40 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 08/01/2020 08:20 | Bungalowracoon | 9 | 92/100 |
| ! | 07/11/2019 17:36 | manurock | 228 | 83/100 |
| ! | 07/11/2019 17:07 |  Rhyner | 1,456 | 99/100 |
| ! | 07/11/2019 16:30 |  gidgidi | 114 | 88/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 86.3/100, a mean average of 85.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 13.6.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From Bungalowracoon 08/01/2020 08:24 | #256566
Your chart is almost my album collection!!
Except for the who , van halen and Aerosmith really - but I’ll give these a go now judging by the similarities !
Great chart - as you said it’s so hard to choose just 100 and then rank them as well - so good stuff
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From manurock 07/11/2019 17:36 | #239329
Nice comments and great picks. Maybe too much from some classic bands but I filtered for the 2010's and I like your choices too so fine by me.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From gidgidi 07/11/2019 16:30 | #239325
gidgidi 07/11/2019 16:30 | #239325
Great and detailed chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From jeffrey-hodgson 10/12/2018 12:21 | #222396
LOVE the Who!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From PeterSmith 07/21/2018 14:33 | #218613
Got about 70 of these albums and another 20 on my Wishlist to get to later. I obviously like the chart with so much in common. I love to read comments and views on what the album is about and why you might like it - so you need to get round to the rest.
If I can recommend anything to you it would be Neutral Milk Hotel - In An Aeroplane Over The Sea and Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever - both Indie Rock/Folk kinda sound you might also like The Strokes who have a bit of the post punk revival with the Velvets and Lou Reed kick
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Ulf 05/03/2018 14:57 | #214116
Although i dont necessarily fully agree with some of the comments or rankings its understandable and objectively very good
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From panapsal 05/03/2018 08:41 | #214093
100 for Quadrophenia 1st (and many more...)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Goliath 05/03/2018 07:13 | #214090
Goliath 05/03/2018 07:13 | #214090
Great chart, 35 in common with my own.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From platus 10/20/2017 14:27 | #199840
A really good chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
CharlieBarley 07/23/2017 21:39 | #194821
CharlieBarley 07/23/2017 21:39 | #194821
Good solid chart with many classics, 42 albums in common. Hey, that's a lot. I like your comments, makes for an interesting read. Great stuff.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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